How to breed Apistogramma Atahualpa

[Champ_17]

I think they is very aggressive species and the pair are not get along well.
My male always bite the female So I worry I cannot breed them easily.
Anyone have a trick for breeding?

 

[Mike Wise]

Yes, this is one of the more aggressive apisto species. It is best to breed this species in a harem of 2 - 3 females + 1 male in a complexly decorated larger tank at least 3'/90cm long. It is also a true blackwater fish, so it needs soft and acid water to successfully breed consistently.

 

[MickeM]

Hi, Champ !

According to my experiences with fighting Apistos(no matter which species), you have to create more hidingplaces for the "not willing females"/smaller males to hide. Or to build "non-visual"?? zones in the tank where the male can not see the female. (What he sees he will hunt off/away from his territoria.. That he does not see doesn`t bother him..) Roots, stones, large/many plants and leafs on the ground will probably make a Difference. Usually I always place my Apistos with e.g. Pseudoepiplatys annulatus../Pseudomugil cf. paskai/Boraras, that can help them to focus on a few other fishes than their own species.

Another trick I use is making several feedingholes in the coverslip(?). Then you can give the male a small amount of food first, then a lot to the female(probably standing in the opposite corner of the tank..)/ ..or.. feed them with frozen cyclops/small sized food. That will fully saturate the smaller fish (female!!) and give her some advantage until she is ready to mate..

However...this all seems to no vail if you continue to change the water very often then males propagation hormones starts for each new water change. You will have to do the water change when the female is ready to mate. My Apistos then usually mate in one or two days.
I`ve made this mistake more than one time myself, with juvenile guarding females, resulting in terrible fights due to female not willing/ready to mate so soon.


1- Hidingplaces
2- Proper feeding
3- Change water at correct moment

/ These are some of my tips !!

MickeM

 

[DwarfApisto]

First thing I would do is get that mirror out of tank! That mirror is not doin any good. Other than making the male even more aggressive than they normally are.

 

[DBlauj]

I think the mirror was there just for photos.

 

[Mike Wise]

However...this all seems to no vail if you continue to change the water very often then males propagation hormones starts for each new water change.

I have never read any scientific reports on pheromones inducing breeding in apistos (or any cichlid for that matter). If we think about it, apistos in the wild live mostly in constantly flowing (changed) water. Therefore any pheromones produced will be flushed away and useless. Cichlids breeding is based mostly on visual cues. If the change water has the right values, I don't think that you can make too many water changes.

 

[MickeM]

Hi Mike!
What I mean with this line is that you can "kickstart" breeding this way if your aquariums don`t gets daily/weekly waterchanges. My assumption is that most of the common aquarium owners do not do this! Not daily anyway..

I should have written:

However...this all seems to no vail if you continue to change the water very often then it seems like males propagation hormones starts for each new water change.

I did not mean that any pheromones is secreted into the water, but rather to an internal "hormonal response" that trigger the male courtship like crazy.. (It may be an old way of thinking/expression from my part??, but it seems to actually work like that !!) Do change 30-50% of the water (KH=3) in a common tank with Ap. baenschi male+female guarding 1week old fry and watch the behaviour... My experience says trouble..

But..If you are having close to perfect Apisto water (low amounts of NO2, low KH )...and then changes some water, the "triggereffect" will not get the fish to respond as much as in the first case.. no major differences occur..
It depends on the quality of the water you pour out and putting into the tank..

(Here in Stockholm we have KH= 3 in the tapwater for example)